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English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 30 minutes

Text features (headings, captions, glossaries)

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RI.3.5CCSS RI.2.5England: Y3/4 Reading (non-fiction features)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Text features (headings, captions, glossaries).

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: What is it mostly about?

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (What is it mostly about?). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Cats like to sleep. They sleep in the sun. They sleep on beds. Some cats sleep most of the day! What is this mostly about? (dogs playing / cats sleeping / the sun / beds) → cats sleepingPrompt: What is the WHOLE text mostly about, not just one part?
  2. Rain falls from clouds. It fills rivers and ponds. Plants need rain to grow. What is this mostly about? (clouds / the sun / rain / ponds) → rainPrompt: What is the WHOLE text mostly about, not just one part?
  3. Buses take people to work. Trains go fast on tracks. Planes fly in the sky. What is this mostly about? (going to work / ways to travel / the sky / planes) → ways to travelPrompt: What is the WHOLE text mostly about, not just one part?

Hook · 3 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Text features (headings, captions, glossaries). Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: A text has the words "What Do Koalas Eat?" in large bold letters above a paragraph. What is this feature called?
  • Step 1: Text structure is how a writer organises ideas.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: a heading
  • Answer: a heading
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. A diagram of a plant has words with lines pointing to the roots, stem and leaves. What are these words called? (captions / a glossary / headings / labels) → labelsPrompt: How is the information organised?
  2. A book about volcanoes has a section at the back listing hard words and their meanings. What is this section called? (a heading / an index / a caption / a glossary) → a glossaryPrompt: How is the information organised?

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Under a photo of a lion, there is a short sentence: "A male lion resting in the shade." What is this sentence called? (a caption / a table of contents / a glossary / a title page) → a captionPrompt: How is the information organised?
  2. A diagram of a plant has words with lines pointing to the roots, stem and leaves. What are these words called? (headings / a glossary / captions / labels) → labelsPrompt: How is the information organised?

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: What is it mostly about?.
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Text features (headings, captions, glossaries)

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Under a photo of a lion, there is a short sentence: "A male lion resting in the shade." What is this sentence called?

    • A. a title page
    • B. a table of contents
    • C. a caption
    • D. a glossary

  2. Question 2

    Near the front of a book is a list of chapters and the pages they start on. What is this called?

    • A. the index
    • B. the table of contents
    • C. the glossary
    • D. a caption

  3. Question 3

    A book about volcanoes has a section at the back listing hard words and their meanings. What is this section called?

    • A. a heading
    • B. an index
    • C. a caption
    • D. a glossary

  4. Question 4

    A text has the words "What Do Koalas Eat?" in large bold letters above a paragraph. What is this feature called?

    • A. a label
    • B. a heading
    • C. a glossary
    • D. a caption

  5. Question 5

    You want to find which page of a book about space mentions Saturn. Which part of the book should you use?

    • A. the glossary
    • B. the index
    • C. the cover
    • D. the caption

  6. Question 6

    A diagram of a plant has words with lines pointing to the roots, stem and leaves. What are these words called?

    • A. headings
    • B. captions
    • C. labels
    • D. a glossary

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Answer key: Text features (headings, captions, glossaries)

  1. 1. C. a caption

  2. 2. B. the table of contents

  3. 3. D. a glossary

  4. 4. B. a heading

  5. 5. B. the index

  6. 6. C. labels